Here is Part two!

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Part Two

William

After class, I decided to walk with Veronica, to make sure she was okay. I knew I shouldn’t’ have asked. I knew it was none of my business, but it should have been. I was her friend after all. She should feel comfortable enough to confide in me.

“So, you wanna tell me now what’s bugging you?” I ask with a piercing stare.

“No, not really,” she snaps, her brow furrowed in agitation. She still was beautiful, even as furious as she was.

“I know how Mike is. I know his character. He doesn’t deserve you, Veronica.”

“What do you know, William? Seriously, what do you know about Mike?” She whirls on me, eyes blazing with an inner fire that I had never seen.

Slightly put-off, I take a step back, exiting the danger zone. “I’m just trying to look out for you. We’ve known each other for years. You should be able to talk to me about stuff. I’ve been your neighbor since you moved here.”

“I know… I know, Will, and I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you.” She rubbed at her temples with a heavy sigh.

“No, don’t worry. All’s good.” I winked at her, making her laugh. “But if you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine.”

Just then, being the overprotective creature that I am, I immediately tensed when I smelt that familiar tangy scent that was Mike Putnam.

“Hey, sweetie!” he called in false happiness, his eyes a lit with lies. My heart pounded with a whole new rhythm. If only Veronica would allow me to beat Mike to a pulp… If only…

“Hey, Mike!” I was still shocked that she could still sound so real and happy to see him, even after all he says and does to her.

Mike glances warily over at me, and Veronica follows his gaze. I stand rigidly at her side, not planning to go anytime soon. “Will…I have to go now so I’ll talk to you later?” She had no hint of remorse, no sense of pride. I was there for her. She didn’t even know how much I cared for her, walking her home everyday from the library where she worked. She never even knew, but I did, and I knew it counted for something.

“Veronica, I don’t think—“

She shot me such a glare that if I didn’t have skin like a tanks, she would have killed me with one swing of her sharp knives-for-eyes. “Good bye, Will,” she said through clenched teeth before hooking arms with Mike, sauntering off with a swing in her step. I just couldn’t see what she saw in that moron. His head was full of air, rattling around on his neck like an empty barrel. The mere sight of him made me fire up like a ticking bomb, ready to explode at any moment.

Of course, most of this anger was directed towards the very obvious point: He had Veronica. I didn’t. I know it was wrong of me to lust after her. I had been her first friend when she moved here, the little curly-haired kid down the block. She still thought of me as that little boy that she had met all those years ago. But didn’t she see all that has changed. I’m definitely not little anymore, towering over Mike Putnam by several inches. Yes, he was bigger than I in a weight sense. I was leaner, more thinly muscled than he was. He was all brawn, something that I found comical, for he seemed like a very weak individual, taking out his anger on Veronica all the time.

Leaving the school for the outside air, I inhaled the surrounding scents. Winter was crisp in the air, stinking up the air with the newly fallen snow. I hated winter. All that ice embedded in your fur at the end of a run… I growled at the thought.

Shoving my hands deep into my pockets, I quickened my pace. Darting into the nearby trees, I took the forest path, the bare trees somehow calming my fried nerves. Veronica did this to me daily and I still haven’t figured out why I put up with it. She’s just a girl. There are thousands more out there. It’s just that twinkle in her eye she gets when I make her laugh, or that intelligent air she gets when she starts a new lab, or that beautiful nature she has, so gentle and pure.

Sighing, I confirmed what ailed me.

I was just one lovesick kid.

Veronica

Mike’s honey-colored eyes deepened in color as his lips molded over the hollow of my throat. I lost myself in the feeling, loving the intimacy we could share without things getting awkward. He murmured my name against my feverish skin, creating goosebumps where his warm breath hit my neck. “I really am sorry about earlier today, Vee. I shouldn’t have said the things I did.”

“It’s okay,” I whispered huskily, pressing my lips firmly against his. His hands slipped along my back, memorizing every curve, every dip. I clutched myself to him, loving the feel of our bodies fitting together. My clothes were itchy against my skin as his tongue entered my mouth.

“Mike?”

As though electrocuted, I was gone, breathing heavily three cushions down from him. He covered a laugh with his hand as his mother entered the house, her hair in a prim looking up-do with her thinly-arched brows raised in merry-surprise at the sight of me. “Oh, Veronica, dear! How are you?”

“Good.” Peeking over at Mike, I saw a huge grin spreading across his face as we exchanged a glance. “Really good,” I added with a suggestive tone aimed at Mike. His eyes deepened again at this, making me shiver with delight.

“That’s good. Mike, could you be a doll and go out and grab the rest of the groceries.”

“Sure, mom.” Practically sprinting from the room, he came back in hauling two cases of Mountain Dew under his arm. He winked at me before leaving again to retrieve the last box of potato chips. “All right, all done.”

“Thanks, sweetie.” His mother blew him a kiss before shrugging her shoulders. “I’m off to take a shower.”

“Yeah, we better be going, mom. I have to get Vee home.”

I look quizzically at him as he opens his eyes really wide, his hands twitching. Understanding, I nod in agreement. “Yeah, I should get going. Nice seeing you again, Mrs. Putnam.” She just shrugged again, waving good bye before climbing the stairs.

Outside, I was giddy with relief to be out of the house. Mike was tugging me by the hand into his truck. He drove quickly, both of us laughing like fools. We were headed to our favorite spot in the middle of the woods. It had been ours since before we were dating but it seemed to get better use now that we were…